Tim Masters agrees to settlement

FORT COLLINS – After spending nearly 10 years in prison when he was convicted of killing Peggy Hettrick in 1999, a judge overturned the conviction of Tim Masters in 2008 citing DNA evidence found on the victim’s clothing did not match Masters’.

Masters sued the lead prosecutors in the case for withholding evidence which could have

helped to clear him of the charges. Masters claimed detectives and prosecutors maliciously targeted him and destroyed or withheld evidence which could have cleared him.

Larimer County Commissioners voted on the settlement agreement on February 16. Masters will receive between $1 and $5 million.

Hettrick was killed in 1987 when Masters was 15. The police immediately focused upon Masters because of some stick figure drawings he made at the time of the murder. He was arrested 11 years after the slaying. In 2008 a judge said that new DNA evidence pointed to another suspect.

A few of the detectives and prosecutors names in Masters’ law suit include: Terence Gilmore, a former deputy district attorney who helped prosecute Masters, now a district court judge; Jolene Blair, a former prosecutor who is now a district court judge; and Police Lt. James Broderick, the lead investigator in the Masters case.

Domenico named chair of Board of Commissioners

BOULDER COUNTY – Boulder County Commissioner Cindy Domenico was named Chair of the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday during the annual Boulder County reorganization meeting.

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity,” said Domenico, acknowledging fellow commissioners Ben Pearlman and Will Toor and the staff in attendance at the Boulder County Courthouse. “I am excited about what we will accomplish in the coming year and I very much look forward to the collaboration of all the hard working staff we have here as we work to serve the people of Boulder County.”

Commissioner Pearlman, chair since taking office in 2005, assumed the role of vice chair. In addition to selecting the chair and vice chair during the reorganization meeting, the commissioners appointed department heads and staff members who serve at the pleasure of the board, and appointed representatives of the board to serve on various local and regional committees. The commissioners also gave their annual State of the County address, highlighting the accomplishments of 2009 and looking forward to the challenges ahead.

“I am very grateful and proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” Pearlman said. “This has been a county of innovation for a long time. Last year was no exception and 2010 won’t be either.”

City of Boulder recruiting for Boards and Commissions

BOULDER – The Boulder City Council is currently accepting applications for City Boards and Commissions.

City Boards offer residents a unique opportunity to become involved in local government and in the community.  Service on all boards is voluntary. Generally, applicants must be a city elector, 18 years of age, and reside within the Boulder city limits.

There are 18 boards that have vacancies. A list of current vacancies is available online at www.bouldercolorado.gov (click “departments,” “boards and commissions,” “current vacancies”).  Each board and commission has specific responsibilities and requirements, as well as collaborates with and advises particular city departments and City Council on related issues.

Applications can be picked up from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Council Office, 1777 Broadway, or you can apply on-line at www.bouldercolorado.gov (click on “quick links” and go to “Boards and Commissions”).  The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19. Late applications or postmarks will not be accepted.  Formal appointments will be made on March 16, 2010.

Information: Dianne Marshall, City Council Office, 303-441-3002.

Medical Marijuana

Regulating medical marijuana is one thing that both Republicans and Democrats seem to agree on in Colorado. The medical marijuana bill in Colorado, SB109 was recently passed by the Colorado Senate by 34 – 1 and is making its way to the House. The bill. sponsored by Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs, and Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, attempts to clarify legal rights for caregivers who potentially supply marijuana to a handful of patients. The bill is seen by some as keeping with the voters intent for the caregiver model described in the constitutional amendment passed in 2000. The model for dispensaries however was not very clear in the amendment and that has opened a controversy.

The bill also requires doctors to review a person’s medical history and provide a full exam before issuing a prescription. The Massey-Romer bill would require that medical marijuana dispensaries be established as non-profits, gain a state license through and be subject to numerous restrictions. Dispensaries couldn’t operate within 1,000 feet of anything to do with children, from day cares to high schools, and the bill would give cities the power to ban them altogether. A physician who certifies that a patient can use medical marijuana may not receive remuneration from a primary caregiver, medical marijuana clinic, or medical marijuana grower related to medical marijuana.

The bill creates a medical marijuana review board that will consider requests by nonveteran patients under 21 years of age who want to be registered medical marijuana patients. For a patient who is under 21 years of age to become a registered medical marijuana patient, a majority of the board must determine that the patient has a debilitating medical condition and could benefit from the use of medical marijuana.

Many cities and towns in Colorado, including Lyons, have declared a moratorium on licenses to open medical marijuana dispensaries. Most of these communities want to wait to see what the state plans to do about regulating the sale and growing of marijuana. “This is all new to us,” said Lyons Mayor Julie Van Domelen. “We need some time to see what the state is going to do and to figure this out.”

For now, state law allows people to grow six plants per medical-marijuana patient they serve. But changes contemplated in the legislature could restrict the size of operations or require a deeper relationship with patients than just being a pot farmer.

Lyons has three medical marijuana shops open and three licenses pending the moratorium. The moratorium took effect in Lyons on January 9 and will run through April 9.

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